Kitty
by CookieCutterWorld
Summary: Because of an experiment-gone-wrong, Anissina von Karbelnikoff turned into a cat. Since then, a series of events unfolded with Wolfram investigating her disappearance, Conrart accused of being a Lady Killer, Gwendal becoming too stressed out, and more.
1. Chapter 1

Kitty

By The Cookie Cutter World

* * *

"Anissina?" Conrart called out as he carefully peered inside her laboratory. The room reeked of sulfur and chlorine combined and his initial reaction was to cringe because of the strange smell. He also fought the urge to gag as he repeated her name, "Anissina?"

He was surprised when he saw a redhead woman crawling from under the table. She had a pair of scissors on one hand and a test tube on the other. Conrart saw something white inside the test tube that looked similar to fur.

She got up and settled the scissors on her table. "Oh hello, Conrart! What's wrong?" she asked.

Conrart was still bothered by how she looked—disheveled hair, a little dust on her skirt, and some cobwebs caught on the right puffed sleeve of her red top. "Mother is wondering if you'd like to join us for dinner." He said.

"Tell Lady Celi I'll be there. I just have to finish with this experiment!" she said excitedly before walking over to a pink machine attached to an array of other test tubes with 4 Bunsen burners underneath it.

Conrart could not determine what that machine was but as much as he wanted to run away before she could even think of experimenting on him, his curiosity upon that new device was too strong to ignore. "May I ask what that new invention is?" he finally asked.

"It's called _Turn-Into-A-Cuddly-Friend-kun!_ This is my latest invention that allows the user to turn any object into a stuffed animal toy of their choice! I'm going to test it for the first time now that I've retrieved the cat fur that I collected from a stray a couple of days ago. Would you like to help me?" she asked excitedly.

The name resonated in Conrart's head: _Turn-Into-A-Cuddly-Friend-kun_. "N…no. I'm sorry but I don't have Maryoku to spare." He said.

"Don't be silly. I'll just need you to watch and evaluate its performance. I already got enough Maryoku reserved in that sealed test tube. It's actually from your brother, Wolfram. I got it while he was taking a nap in the library today." She said.

Conrart could not imagine how Anissina was able to extract magic from Wolfram but he was thankful that he had none in him. He stepped inside the laboratory but made it a point to stay at least 10 feet away from the machine. He watched as Anissina demonstrated how the machine works: "You get a sample of the fur or skin cells of an animal that you like, put it in a test tube, settle it here in this chamber that resembles an oven, and then you…" she ran back to her table to grab a random piece of paper and rushed back immediately to the machine. "…you put any object of your choice into this slot!" she walked over to a lever and pulled it down. A pink electrical current surged through the entire machine, passing through the oven-like chamber and then straight to the slot where the paper was. The pink electrical current hit the paper but nothing happened… except that it was smoking.

Conrart blinked. "…It's still paper." He pointed out.

Anissina grunted. "Oh no, don't tell me it's another failure?" she said in frustration as she walked over to the slot where the paper was and carelessly reached out to it. "Do me a favor, Conrart. Don't tell anyone about this failure. If I find out that you told anybody, I'll make sure to get a sample of your hair follicles next time. Anyway, if something bad happens, all you need to do is to push the reverse button over…" she was about to point where the reverse button was but another pink electrical current surged from the oven-like chamber and went straight to the slot where her hand was blocking the paper. She let out a cry of surprise and it made Conrart panic because he thought she got electrocuted. However, before he could run to help her, the machine exploded.

The explosion made the entire Castle shake for a few moments, making everybody think that there was an earthquake.

Pink smoke was all over the laboratory and Conrart covered his mouth and nose with his two hands while trying to make his way through the thick cloud of smoke. "Anissina!" he called out while blindly searching for her. Figuring that the smoke should clear first, he ran to the area where he could remember seeing a window so he could open it.

He waited for a few moments before the smoke finally cleared but Anissina was nowhere to be found. The only thing he saw was the machine and a cat with red fur sitting on a pile of clothes that he recognized to be Anissina's. Conrart felt the blood draining from his face when he saw the red cat. "Oh no." he mumbled.

The cat seemed clueless at first but it began to look at itself and it suddenly looked happy. The cat looked up at the machine with a satisfied grin before it got interrupted by Conrart who picked it up. "Anissina?" he asked.

The red cat looked up at him and she appeared to be smiling happily.

Conrart did not know what to do. Anissina had turned into a red cat but she seems happy about it! "Oh no… Anissina, what happened?" he asked. "I'd better tell somebody about this…"

And she hissed at him. He looked at her strangely. "What? You don't want me to tell anybody about this? Well what are you going to do? You're going to stay as a cat forever?" he asked.

Her blue eyes looked at him warningly. Conrart recalled that she did not want him to tell anything to anyone about the machine.

"But what if they start looking for you?" he asked.

She just shook her head.

Confused, Conrart looked at the machine and examined it carefully. "You can teach me how to reverse the effects of this machine and I'll do my best to make it work for you…" he trailed off when the door burst open. It was his younger brother, Wolfram. "There you are, Conrart! Mother's looking for us. It's time for dinner already." He announced.

"Meow!" Anissina greeted him.

Wolfram found it strange that his brother Conrart was holding a cat in his arms… furthermore, the color of the cat's fur made him really curious. "A red cat?" he asked. "Where did that come from?" he approached them and inspected the red cat closely.

Conrart breathed in. "I… found her in the garden today and I figured I'd… take her to Anissina." He bluffed.

"Why is it red? Is that really a cat?" Wolfram asked.

"Meow!" Anissina replied brightly.

Wolfram frowned. "Well where's Anissina?" he asked.

"…I don't really know. I just arrived here." Conrart explained before deciding to leave the room with the cat. "It is a strange cat so I figured that she'd be curious that's why I came here. But since she isn't here yet, I think I'll take this cat to…" he trailed off. Come to think of it, what was he going to do with her? She specifically told him never to tell anyone, otherwise, she would experiment on him. It seemed like a shallow reason that a part of him was choosing to take for granted. However, he tried to be more reasonable: he is dealing with Anissina and when she means business, she does mean business. Besides, he was raised and taught not to break promises to women. He decided to just keep a close eye on her until he can figure out what to do.

Conrart and Wolfram walked along the hallway leading to the dining hall. "Has Yuuri come back yet?" the latter asked, changing the subject.

Conrart was just glad that his brother was not interested anymore with the cat. "I don't think so." He answered simply, trying to keep a straight face while preventing Anissina from jumping off from his arms. Unfortunately, she could not keep still. She felt very uncomfortable being held by Conrart like that. However, the more she squirmed, the more his grip tightened around her.

"I think she wants you to let her go." Wolfram pointed out while observing the behavior of the red cat.

"No, she's alright. Besides, I don't think it's a good idea to let her go. She might run around the Castle and if Gunter catches her, he might put her in a cage and use her liver as meat for some… potion or soup." Conrart stammered. Anissina looked up at him in mortification while thinking, _"Gunter does that?"_

Wolfram just made a face and looked at the cat. "By the way, did you feel that earthquake a while ago?" he asked his brother.

Conrart just nodded. "I was just on my way to Anissina's lab when I felt it." He said.

"I thought it came from there, though. And I expected to see Gwendal or Gunter inside, strapped in a chair and being experimented on. I thought that the earthquake was caused by an explosion, too!" Wolfram said while laughing, seemingly amused by the events.

Conrart just forced a smile while looking at Anissina who was looking at him. Her small cat lips appeared as if she was pouting and she looked rather frustrated at something.

They stopped in their tracks when they the voice of their elder brother approaching from another hallway. He was talking to Gisela about the scheduled medical check-up of his troops when as he came into view. Conrart and Wolfram stopped walking when Gisela saw them and waved.

Anissina pawed Conrart's arm as a sign for him to run off. It was obvious to him that she had no intention of being seen by Gwendal. At first he did not understand why she would not want to be seen by his older brother, but he soon realized for himself the reason when he saw Gwendal's left eye twitching while eyeing the cat in a stoic manner.

To make things worse, Wolfram decided to point out the striking features of the cat excitedly. "Gisela, Gwendal! Check out this cat! Isn't she strange? She's got red fur and really pretty blue eyes! Conrart found her in the garden today!"

Gisela looked closely at the cat. "She is pretty. How come she has red fur?" she asked.

"I don't know." Wolfram replied before looking up at Conrart. "Hey what if that's a forest monster pretending to be a cat and when nobody's looking, she's going to transform into a beast?" he pointed out.

Conrart had to restrain Anissina from jumping at Wolfram. "Um… I don't think she's a monster. She seems rather sweet to be a monster. Now if you'll excuse me…" he stepped aside and made a move to leave the three but Gwendal called his attention.

"Where are you going?"

Conrart took a deep breath and faced his brother. "I'm taking her to my room. She can stay there while we're having dinner." He said.

Gwendal walked over to him while keeping his gaze on the cat. "Can I keep her?" he asked gruffly.

The cat began to behave frantically, clinging onto Conrart's uniform for dear life with her claws even though Gwendal was already attempting to grab her. "Come here, kitty. I don't think Conrart can even take care of you that well."

Conrart did not hesitate anymore. He let Gwendal have Anissina. After all, what was he going to do with her? It would really seem very awkward to keep her with him as long as she remains in that form. He figured that it would be better off for her to be with Gwendal while he tried to figure out how to reverse the spell and study the machine while keeping everything a secret. "Yes, I think that would be a better alternative. After all, nobody knows that she has turned into a cat." He reflected in silence before smiling at Gwendal. "I'm sure she'd love to be with you." He said as he stepped aside and walked away. "Let's go, Wolfram and Gisela. It's time for dinner." He said casually.

Gisela blinked. "Am I supposed to join you?" she asked. Although she is one of the nobles, she has never really joined them for dinner, not even once.

Wolfram shrugged. "Never you mind. It's mother's little dinner party so I think you can join. Besides, Yuuri isn't around so there's a spare seat that you can occupy." He said before leading the way to the dining hall.

"Tell mother I'll follow. I'll just take this kitty to my room." Gwendal said before going to the other direction.

Anissina the cat braced herself. She thought she would lose her fur when she heard Gwendal say, "I think I'll call you _Anissina_ although you look sweeter than her."

Gwendal reached his room and opened the door. Anissina thought he would just put her down and then leave, but no. He decided to walk over to his bed and actually placed her on top of his pillow. "Now be a good kitty and stay there, Anissina. I'll bring you dinner later." He said in a manner that made her wonder whether he was being possessed by an angel. Though he spoke in a low voice, there was some sort of gentleness in it. The experience of hearing him talking to her that way was very new because she knew he would not do that to the actual Anissina… but then again, he does not know that the red cat is the actual Anissina.

After petting her head gently, he walked away to the door and took one last look at her before leaving the room.

The first thing she did was attempt to look for any possible exit where she can escape and head back to her laboratory to figure out how she could transform back to her original self. However, all possible exits like doors and windows were securely shut. Frustrated, she decided to just explore the room.

Anissina was thankful, though, that he left the lights switched on so she won't be so bored. She went over to his bookshelf to search for an interesting book to read while waiting for him to get back. To her surprise, she found a couple of books she had written at the topmost shelf that was almost hard to reach by anybody who wasn't as tall as Gwendal. "Gee, I never knew he'd be interested in my stories!" she thought in amusement. She was able to climb up on the top shelf to look at the other books there while amused at the fact that she could finally reach the highest parts of a shelf in that cat form. She simply cannot do that with her actual body because normally, she would use a stepping stool, a ladder, or ask a taller person to get the books at the topmost shelves for her.

She scanned through the books and once she found an intriguing title that read "Atomic Combustion Explained", she struggled to pull it out with her front paws and even with her jaw but could not do so because it was too heavy and stuck between 2 other heavy books. In frustration, she just jumped down and went over to his study desk. There were books there, too, but the titles bored her: "_Calligraphy For Dummies_", "_Advanced Knitting_", "_Battlefield Tactics_", "_Wedding Ideas_", and "_The Frontlines_".

…_Wedding Ideas_?

The title made her take a second look and she instantly flipped the book open with her right paw and scanned the preface. "Why would Gwendal be reading about Wedding Ideas?" she wondered, suddenly feeling a wave of excitement taking over her. She began to come up with witty yet teasing remarks for him already and wished she could be in her real form again so she can start taunting him in the dining hall in front of his family.

She set the book aside and turned to the book called "_Battlefield Tactics_". She figured that she could at least stomach reading about war and battle strategies while waiting for him to return. She thought his room was boring because there was nothing about science, health, or anything else that could interest her.

An hour and 30 minutes later, Anissina was interrupted when she heard the door slowly creaking open. She looked up from the book and saw Conrart sneaking into the room. She decided to call his attention by meowing.

Conrart Weller turned his gaze to the direction where he heard the meow. "There you are. I'm sorry for the trouble. Was Gwendal nice to you?" he asked as he went over to her and picked her up. He saw that she looked really annoyed but something on the table caught his attention. "Wedding Ideas?" he asked out loud before putting her down on the table to scan the contents of the said book. "Did you pick this out from the bookshelf?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"Figures. I doubt you'd be able to drag this heavy book from the bookshelf to here in that form. Anyway," he settled the book on the table again before petting her head. He could not help but do so because he already had the instinct to pet little domesticated animals. She did not seem pleased, though, so she moved away from his hand. "Sorry," he apologized as he withdrew his hand and smiled reassuringly at her. "I think it's best that you stay with Gwendal for a while. I'm sure he'll take care of you very well. In the meantime, I'll try to figure out how to work your machine. It might take some time because I have to admit, I'm not very good with machines and gadgets. But I promise that I'll do my best." He told her.

Her lips curved into a pout as her right eye twitched. Although a cat, she was still very expressive and can still portray facial expressions very well.

Conrart sighed. "Are you sure you don't want me to tell anyone? I think you'll be able to go back to your real form immediately once we ask for others to help us." He said.

She shook her head. Conrart respects that she has pride and that she does not want anybody to find out about her little failure-slash-freak accident. "Alright, but until then, you're staying with Gwendal." He told her.

"Who are you talking to, Conrart?" Gwendal's loud booming voice was heard from the doorway of his bedroom, making Conrart jump in surprise as he turned to face his older brother. "H…hello, brother. I was just talking to your cat because I heard her making noise as I was passing outside."

Gwendal approached them and Conrart saw the way Anissina reacted. She took a few steps backward in an effort to avoid Gwendal's hands that seemed larger already because of her current size. Still, he easily caught her and cradled her in his arms. "Good kitty." He looked at Conrart and his lips were curved into a discreet smile. It was very unusual for Conrart to see his older brother smiling at him like that so he felt a little uncomfortable though he still managed to plaster a sincere smile on his face. "She's one-of-a-kind. Where did you find her again?" Gwendal asked.

Conrart searched his memory. He knew he had to be consistent with his words if he wanted to sound convincing. Unfortunately, he could not remember.

"_Garden! Garden!!_" Anissina's mind was screaming.

"…The courtyard." Conrart answered.

Anissina cringed. "_Wrong answer!!"_ Although she was relieved that Gwendal did not show any reaction that would reveal suspicion in his part.

Gwendal lifted the cat up in the air, examining her fur and the features of her body. "I still can't believe that genetics will allow a red cat to be created. It's not just orange or red-orange, but it's really red! I just hope that once Anissina comes back, she won't experiment on her." He said.

Anissina wondered what kind of excuse Conrart made up regarding her whereabouts. She was supposed to join the dinner party so it was very likely that her absence had been questioned by anyone concerned.

Conrart shifted his gaze to the _Wedding Ideas_ book. "Don't mind me asking, Gwendal, but…" he began.

Gwendal looked casually at the book. "Oh that. I'm just tired of people coming up to me for advice about weddings and love. Usually I would not know how to answer their questions and how I can address their concerns so I decided to read about them." He explained.

"_That explains things._" Anissina thought, recalling that Yuuri had implemented an open-door policy in the kingdom that allows the common-folk to approach the Castle to seek advice from the Maou on particular affairs and other concerns in their lives. However, since the Maou is away, Gwendal was the one taking care of his business.

Conrart just smirked. "So that's why it's there. I thought you were planning to propose to someone." He said.

Gwendal seemed struck by the statement. Anissina felt his grip tighten around her body. "How can you possibly think that, Conrart?" he asked gruffly.

Conrart shrugged. "It's very unusual to find such books in your study so I imagined that…"

"You've had too much wine to drink with your steak. I suggest you go back to your chambers and rest now." Gwendal said, cutting him off before heading to the bed.

Conrart watched as Gwendal settled Anissina down on the bed beside a large knitted teddy bear that actually looks like a teddy bear. "Very well, good night, brother." He said before heading off to the door to exit. "By the way, what did you name your new cat?" he asked.

Gwendal had his back turned to Conrart but since he was facing Anissina, she clearly saw the uncomfortable expression on his face and in his eyes. "I haven't thought about it yet." He fibbed.

Conrart looked at the cat and smiled. "May I suggest calling her _Anissina_?" he asked.

Gwendal took a deep breath and petted her head. "_Anissina_ is good. Besides, she looks like this kitty… except that this one is sweeter."

"Sweeter?" Conrart repeated.

Anissina hissed to serve as a warning to Conrart. He just smiled and waved goodbye at her before finally stepping out of the room.

As soon as Gwendal heard the door close, he let out an exasperated sigh. "That Conrart." He mumbled as he knelt down by the bed and examined the look on the cat's face. He smiled.

Anissina shuddered when she saw him smiling at her like that. The last time he did that to her was somewhere in their childhood.

His hand reached out to her face and ticked her chin with his thumb. She felt ridiculous, wondering how she could respond to that. She herself was not ticklish but to avoid arousing suspicion in him, she decided to purr.

Gwendal's smile widened and he picked her up to cuddle her. "Aw, Anissina," he said in a dreamy manner that made her want to laugh and cry at the same time. Is Gwendal really capable of behaving like that when nobody else is around? She began to think that maybe he was the one who had too much wine and not Conrart.

"Mew!" it sounded like a squeak more than a meow and Gwendal looked at her, realizing that he had been holding her too tight. "Sorry." He said as he settled her on the bed again. He petted her head twice before walking over to his study desk so he can start reading again.

Anissina was beginning to get bored but she could not do anything about it. Instead, she just sat there and watched him, observing the sudden seriousness of his face. She would not want to approach him and beg for a reading material because it would be very unusual for a cat to want to read so she just watched him until she slowly felt a wave of sleepiness taking over her. However, just when she was about to fall asleep, she heard Gwendal grunting. She was awake again as he watched him stretch, take a deep breath, and then sigh.

She was not sure what time it was already but judging from the silence of the surroundings and the absence of light that would normally seep through the space between the door and the floor, she knew that it was already near midnight.

She thought he would plan to sleep already but he just remained seated on his chair and continued to read. Again, she remained on the bed and watched quietly until she finally fell asleep.

When she woke up the next day, she found herself in Gwendal's arms on the bed. It was a very awkward feeling and the more she felt awkward when Conrart entered to check on her.

She struggled to break free from Gwendal's grasp but she could not. His grip around her was too tight and her tail was stuck in his armpit.

Conrart approached her and showed her a thick book of spells. "It says here that you can turn back with the help of a little maryoku from somebody like Gunter or Gisela." He whispered.

She shook her head. There is no way she would like Gisela or Gunter to find out about her little booboo.

Conrart hid the book behind him just in time when Gwendal moved and opened his eyes. Seeing his younger brother first thing in the morning was not really his cup of tea so he frowned. "What are you doing here, Conrart?"

"I was just… checking if you're already awake, Gwendal. Anyway, I'll see if breakfast is already served." Conrart responded before deciding to leave.

Gwendal turned to the cat and smiled. "Hello, Anissina." He said as he grabbed her and brought her face close to his lips. He gave her a quick peck on the head and she thought she would explode in embarrassment but she could not do anything about it. She just wondered how long Conrart could figure out how to work her machine and if he could ever take her away from Gwendal's watchful eye. She knew Gwendal would be very over-protective of her that's why Conrart could not even make a move to take her away and bring her back to her laboratory so she can teach him how to work the _Turn-Into-A-Cuddly-Friend-kun_.

She also wondered how long before anyone would start suspecting that she was "missing".


	2. Chapter 2

Kitty

* * *

It took 3 weeks before somebody finally realized that Anissina von Karbelnikoff was missing.

It all began when Cecilie decided to host another dinner party and invited Anissina's family over. Her older brother questioned her whereabouts and the person he talked to was Gwendal.

Then it hit Gwendal: Where did Anissina go? He was too stumped to answer. He did question himself on her whereabouts for past couple of weeks already but he just thought that maybe she incarcerated herself inside her laboratory because of an experiment.

"Shame on you, you don't know?" Cecilie demanded disappointedly from her eldest son upon overhearing the conversation between him and Lord von Karbelnikoff.

Conrart could feel a lump forming in his throat but he swallowed hard and took a gulp of wine to help push down the sudden anxiety he felt.

"I thought she's just in her laboratory. I don't… really like to disturb her…" Gwendal replied hesitantly.

"She's not in her laboratory. She never was." Wolfram pointed out.

"How would you know? You don't even go there." Gwendal argued. A wave of insecurity and nervousness was beginning to take over him.

"I keep visiting her laboratory to look for her because I need her advice on mixing paint. I never saw her again since 3 weeks ago." Wolfram answered.

The entire dining hall was quiet for a few moments before Conrart cleared his throat. "Maybe she went out on an expedition without telling us?" he suggested.

"She'd never do that without asking permission from me or from Gwendal." Gunter pointed out with a concerned tone.

But without further ado, Gwendal and Cecilie immediately sent a search party to look for Anissina within the castle grounds.

By 2 am, the search was over but they could not find any trace of her… except for her clothes that Dakaskos found on the floor of her laboratory. "It's just piled there beside one of her machines. It's not even folded. I'd hate to think that she stripped off and ran away…" he trailed off when he realized that Gwendal was eyeing him warningly.

Wolfram got hold of Anissina's clothes and inspected them. Conrart just stood beside his younger brother and stared at the clothes while scolding himself in silence regarding the fact that he was not able to hide the "evidence".

"There's no way she'd just take off her clothes and run away… naked?" Wolfram asked, suddenly unsure on how he was supposed to describe what Anissina could have done when he saw his eldest brother looking at him with a twitching left eye. "Uh… sorry." He said as he passed the clothes over to Conrart.

Conrart, on the other hand, was surprised when the clothes were suddenly in his hands. "What am I supposed to do with this?" he almost blurted out, but he kept his composure and looked at Gwendal instead. "Did they find any other trace of her in this laboratory?" he asked, trying to act concerned.

"Aside from those clothes, there's nothing more." Gwendal said before grabbing the clothes from his brother's hands. "We're definitely going to get into trouble with her family if we don't find her."

"Maybe she was kidnapped!" Wolfram suggested.

"Who would even bother to kidnap her?" Gwendal asked impatiently. His brothers could already tell that he was already severely affected by the situation. "Besides, I don't think it's possible that she would let anybody attack her. She may be a woman but she's… really strong…"

There was no mistaking it: they heard him choke towards the end of his last sentence. Conrart was simply amazed at the fact that his older brother was expressing that kind of concern for Anissina.

Gwendal walked away. "Continue the search. I'll be in my room." He commanded.

Conrart and Wolfram noticed that he still had her clothes but they did not say anything anymore.

"Poor Gwendal. He's really distraught about this." Wolfram mumbled although his facial expression remained nonchalant.

Conrart took a deep breath and gave Wolfram a pat on the head. "As for you, I think you should rest now. Aren't you leaving tomorrow with mother and Gisela to visit the southern border of the kingdom?" he asked before walking away.

Wolfram observed Conrart's behavior and attitude towards the situation. Upon realizing the calmness in Conrart, he wondered if he had something to do with Anissina's disappearance. Probably blame it on the tension and stress caused by the situation but Wolfram began to suspect Conrart. "Wasn't he in the laboratory 3 weeks ago? And why is he so calm?" he let out a slight gasp which made Dakaskos and the other soldiers look at him.

"Anything wrong, Lord von Bielefeld?" one of the soldiers asked.

Wolfram immediately ran after Conrart but he could not find him anymore. He even checked for the common places where his brother would hang out like the library, the garden, and his bedroom. He still could not find him.

Concerned and a little afraid that his brother could have gone bonkers and did something to Anissina, Wolfram von Bielefeld went over to the person that he thought was most likely to listen to him.

"Gisela, wake up!" Wolfram shook her rather harshly on the shoulder as she lay on her bed.

Gisela von Kleist opened her eyes and sleepily gazed at the person who just woke her up. "…what?" she asked sleepily. "Is it morning already?" she asked.

"Gisela, I think Conrart kidnapped Anissina or worse, maybe he killed her!"

It took a while before 2 realities sank into her consciousness: Wolfram was sitting on her bed and that he just accused Conrart of kidnapping and killing Anissina von Karbelnikoff. Suddenly she was wide awake. "Excellency, why would your brother even do that?" she asked with a ridiculous smile on her face.

"I don't know! Maybe he went all sixes-and-sevens because both Yuuri and Julia are not around and…" Wolfram trailed off when Gisela shook her head.

"You're tired and you need to sleep. It's been a long night. I suggest that you retire for the night, your Excellency." She pointed out.

"But how would you explain Lord Weller's calmness throughout this entire commotion? Besides, he was there in her laboratory 3 weeks ago when she was last seen!" he explained.

Gisela thought for a while before replying, "Like what I said earlier, why would your brother even do something like that?"

Wolfram did not think twice about his answer anymore: "Maybe he's secretly in-love with Anissina and he wants her for himself!"

Gisela laughed. "That's ridiculous."

"No, it's not! I mean… even if she behaves like a crazy woman most of the time, she's smart and beautiful so maybe Conrart was captivated and then…" his eyes widened at her. "…and then he thought that if he cannot have her, then nobody else can! So he killed her!"

She stared at him unbelievably for a few moments before bluntly saying, "You've been reading too many books on crimes of passion, Lord von Bielefeld."

* * *

Anissina was still a cat while all of those things were happening. However, she was unaware that she was the cause of the commotion happening outside though she could hear the footsteps of soldiers running all over the castle. She even looked outside from the window of Gwendal's room and saw a lot of soldiers scattered outside with Yozak commanding them.

It was 2:30 in the morning when Gwendal returned to his room and Anissina the cat could not help but meow at him in an effort to ask what was going on. However, she felt cautious on whether or not to move and go to him when she saw what he was holding.

Her clothes.

She also saw the distraught look on his face and the way he staggered over to his bed. "_What are you doing with my clothes? I thought Conrart got rid of them so no one would suspect anything?"_ her mind was screaming.

Gwendal plopped down on his bed and he let out a troubled sigh. His hand summoned for Anissina to come over and climb on the bed so he could cuddle her.

She was not sure whether to obey but as an effort to ensure that he won't suspect that she wasn't behaving like a cat, she just went to him and climbed on the bed.

Gwendal immediately took the cat in his arms, scooping her up along with Anissina's clothes. Although still in her cat form, Anissina really felt very uncomfortable. She mentally noted for the nth time already that she would make Conrart participate in an experiment once she returns to normal again. "_I swear he's taking so long to figure out how the machine works! Because of him I've been in this sad and sorry form for 3 weeks now and all I can eat is cat food or raw fish!"_ she thought.

"She's not here anymore and I feel so bad that I don't know what to do or how to think. I didn't even bother to check if she was okay… what if something bad happened to her?"

Anissina wondered who Gwendal meant. But then again, it did not take her much to realize that he was lamenting about her.

He looked at the cat's blue eyes and he smiled wearily before stroking her red fur. "I must be really tired. For a moment there I thought that you're really Anissina. She used to look at me like that whenever…" he trailed off when she moved away from him. She walked over to his basket of yarn and knitting needles and urged him to just knit. Maybe it could relieve his tired nerves.

Gwendal observed the way the cat was looking at him while acting as if she was urging him to knit so he could relax. "Are you asking me to knit?" he asked.

And the cat nodded her head. It was an action Anissina regretted doing because she was supposed to act like a typical animal, which means that she should act as if she could not understand what a person would say.

Gwendal instantly sat up and grabbed the cat in his arms. "You're really a smart kitty, you know that?" he asked. Anissina saw the pleased look on his face but she did not know whether to feel relieved because he did not notice that a cat just responded to his question or alarmed because he just grabbed her out of the blue and took her in his arms.

"But I'm too tired already." He told her before touching Anissina's red and white clothes. "Maybe to…mor…row…"

Anissina blinked. "_Well what do you know? He drifted off to sleep just like that!"_ she thought in amusement before attempting to squirm away from his grasp. Unfortunately, his grip around her was too tight so it was very impossible for her to get away. She wished he was the type of person who moved too much while sleeping so once he turns to the side, his grip would loosen and she can escape. However, based on previous observations, he was a stiff sleeper—he neither moved nor changed positions. For instance, if he slept on his left side, chances are, he would wake up the same way the next day. Therefore, she knew she had to endure the rest of the evening in his arms.

She tried to fall asleep herself but her mind was filled thoughts about Gwendal and her older brother worrying about her. She wished she could ensure them about her safety and whereabouts but the last thing she would like to happen was to let everybody know the fact that she had failed an experiment and that she had been the victim of her own misfortune. Aside from thinking about Gwendal, she thought of Conrart and what he was up to. "_He's supposed to be helping me! I can't believe I'm still a cat! What is he doing?"_

Much to her surprise, she heard the door creaking so she immediately directed her attention to it. She squinted and saw someone wearing a brown uniform. "_Conrart_!" she thought happily.

Conrart Weller took a peek inside the room of his older brother before completely entering inside. He walked over to the bed and looked at Anissina with a serious look on his face. He did not say anything and he did not even bother to greet her by petting her head. Instead, he immediately grabbed her from Gwendal's arms and took her with him outside.

Anissina wondered what was going on but it became clear to her that he was taking her to her laboratory. Upon entering her laboratory, he only bothered to light one candle to avoid alerting the guards who were searching for clues 3 hallways down.

"Okay, Anissina, I need you to teach me how to work this machine." He said softly.

She clearly saw the worried look on his face and she wanted to laugh. "_Oh, I'll bet someone's suspicious of you already, huh?"_ she wondered to herself.

"Gwendal's too worried about you already if that's any consolation." He told her as he let her go. He watched her approach the machine and she began to point out the necessary buttons that he had to press. Unfortunately for Conrart, he was having a hard time catching up because she was a small cat and her paws were too small to be seen in very dim lighting whenever she would use them to point at the buttons. He moved closer. "Don't hurry up. Gwendal's asleep so we can be together here for as long as you want." He said reassuringly.

Unknown to him, Wolfram and Gisela were outside the door just when he mentioned that. The statement was enough to make them suspect that Conrart was up to no good. Immediately, Wolfram grabbed Gisela's hand and dragged her to the nearest room that was actually a storage closet of old potions concocted by Anissina and Cecilie.

"I told you he killed her!" Wolfram wailed.

"What are we going to do?" Gisela asked worriedly as she clasped her hands together in prayer.

"I have no idea!!" Wolfram answered while tugging his own hair in confusion.

Gisela took a deep breath and shook her head. "Poor Lord Weller. I didn't know he loved Anissina so much!" she said sadly.

"I didn't even think he'd like somebody like Anissina." He said before raking his fingers through his hair. "My, if Gwendal found out he'd go ballistic." Wolfram said.

Suddenly, the door opened and there was Jozak carrying a gas lamp. He eyed the two suspiciously and he smirked. "Why would Gwendal go ballistic again?" he asked.

Wolfram and Gisela felt the color draining from their faces… especially Wolfram because he immediately understood why Jozak was looking at them like that. "Oh no, it's not what you think…" he stammered as he felt his body temperature spiking up, particularly on his cheeks and ears.

* * *

"Okay, how does this work again?" Conrart placed Anissina on the machine's slot where she asked to be placed before walking over to the control panel area. He began to press the combination of buttons that he taught him to press.

And they waited.

Conrart turned to Anissina and saw her tail getting bushy. He took a deep breath and sighed. "I think it's broken. Don't you have any other remedy to reverse your spell?" he asked.

She gazed up thoughtfully at the dark ceiling. He could tell from the look in her eyes that she was disappointed and that she was getting desperate already.

"You know, I think I could take you to Ulrike or find a wizard who can…" he trailed off when she turned to him sharply and frantically shook her head in a "no". He walked over to her. "Well then I can't let you stay like that forever and watch Gwendal and everybody else grieve and think that you died or got kidnapped by hoodlums."

"_I'm stumped. I don't even know how to reverse the effects of this thing!"_ she thought weakly while eyeing the machine in frustration.

Conrart approached her and picked her up. He gently stroked her fur in an effort to comfort her. "There, there. It's fine. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about what happened. I will keep it a secret from everyone even if it means giving up my life for you." He said reassuringly.

Anissina sulked. "_That sounded really cheesy, you know."_ She thought.

Again, unknown to them, Gisela and Wolfram were passing by when Conrart said that. The two young mazoku just flinched and ran as fast as they could away from Anissina's laboratory.

Some moments later, Conrart decided to return Anissina to Gwendal but he knew he had to return her to where he first found her: in Gwendal's arm. Anissina tried to get away but she failed. She had to endure being in Gwendal's heavy arms again and watched Conrart leave.

Anissina shifted her gaze to Gwendal's sleeping face and observed his slow and steady breathing. He did not look very peaceful and she wondered whether he was having a dream or not, and if he was dreaming, she wondered what it was about. She looked at his other hand and saw that it was still clutching her clothes tightly. She knew she could not leave his side so she decided to just force herself to fall asleep while resting her head against his chest. A wave of comfort slowly took over her and she eventually relaxed until she surrendered to a deep slumber.


	3. Chapter 3

Kitty

* * *

6 months later, Anissina was still a cat. As for Conrart, he still kept that secret under wraps in fear that she would get her revenge on him once she returns to her real form again. Anissina the Cat still endured her life as Gwendal's pet but he still remained clueless about the cat's real identity and where she actually came from.

A kingdom-wide search already took place for 2 whole months and eventually, Gwendal already sent out troops to other kingdoms including various human territories to search for Anissina or clues related to the person who may have kidnapped her. It seemed to Gwendal and the rest that she had disappeared without a trace or if she had been killed, her killer must have been very talented in hiding her body. The latter scenario could never be accepted by Gwendal. In fact, he would always refuse to accept the possibility that Anissina could be dead already. He would always be in denial and when he did so, he would act so enraged that even his own mother and brothers would be afraid of him.

As for Gisela and Wolfram, the two kept their "little secret" to themselves and refused to tell anyone because they decided to perform their own investigation on the matter. The two were determined that Conrart was responsible for Anissina's disappearance so when Gunter assigned him to visit Caloria, Gisela asked permission from her father if she and Wolfram could visit the new hot springs resort near the bordering mountains of Big Shimaron. She said that Wolfram wanted to study the place for himself to check if it would be suitable for taking future vacations in. Without thinking too much about it, Gunter agreed and let the two go. Unknown to him and to everyone else, Gisela and Wolfram would be following Conrart in secret to investigate him closely.

Gwendal was in his office one late afternoon reading a letter that Lord von Karbelnikoff had written to him about pronouncing Anissina dead when Gunter arrived to inform him that Conrart, Gisela and Wolfram had left already.

Gwendal stressfully set the letter aside and rubbed his forehead with an index finger. "Gisela and Wolfram? They've been spending too much time together and they're avoiding people. Are they alright?" he asked. He figured that if he diverted his attention to his youngest brother and his friend's daughter's current relationship, he could try to forget the stress he felt towards the possibility that Anissina could be dead already. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful in doing so. He felt that he had no interest in his youngest brother's affairs with other mazoku when he had more important matters to think about—like Anissina and whether she is still alive or already dead.

"I'm not sure. They seem to be acting rather cautiously towards Conrart, too." Gunter explained.

"Conrart?" Gwendal raised his eyebrows and then shook his head. "That's ridiculous." He mumbled.

Gunter noticed the distressed look on Gwendal's face and he immediately knew that it had something to do with the letter he was reading when he arrived. "Is that from Anissina's brother?" he asked, referring to the letter.

Gwendal shook his head. "It's from her father. He said that he's ready to accept the fact that Anissina could already be dead…" his voice obviously cracked but he tried to act like it did not matter. To further hide his discomfort, he got up and walked over to the window. He stared straight at the setting sun for a moment until Gunter spoke up, "I know you don't want to accept the fact that she could be dead already. I feel the same way, too, you know. She was one feisty, highly intelligent and brave woman… and now she's gone it's like… the Castle is empty."

Gwendal turned around and saw the miserable look on his friend's face. Gunter's eyes were glistening with tears and Gwendal noticed that he had been holding one of the inventions that resembled a helmet with antennas. "I really miss her, Gwendal!" Gunter wailed before putting on the helmet. "I wish she was here again." he sobbed and he turned away in a dramatic manner. "I swear I'd let her experiment on me again and again and I won't complain or whine or say anything that would offend her! Oh how I long for those days when she would strap me down on a chair so she could attach wires on my body and…" he trailed off before bursting further into tears. "I'm sorry for weeping like this. I guess you can never really know how much you appreciate the company of somebody until they are gone!" and Gunter ran out, exiting the room in a dramatic manner that would have raised eyebrows on an ordinary occasion.

Gwendal just stood there while recalling the last sentence Gunter mentioned to him.

…_you can never really know how much you appreciate the company of somebody until they are gone!_

* * *

Anissina, still in her cat form, was slumped on Gwendal's bed and sleeping soundly on the pile of her clothes that he decided to keep in his room since he got it 6 months ago. However, she woke up immediately when Gwendal arrived. She was not sure whether he meant to slam the door or not but that action of his made her wake up in surprise. Her tail became bushy due to surprise and she also hissed. However, instead of feeling more resentful towards his angry demeanor, she decided to forget about it when she realized that he looked very miserable and that he had a few tears streaming down his face. It was the first time she had ever seen him cry and she figured that he probably had to hide from everybody else so he went to his room instead. She wondered why he was crying and she immediately jumped off from the bed and ran to him.

She tilted her head to the side while looking at him in wonder. "_Gwendal, why are you crying? Did something bad happen?"_ she wanted to ask him.

Gwendal saw her and stared into her blue eyes. He swallowed the lump forming in his throat before wiping his tears away. He bent down to pick up the cat and she thought her bones would break her bones when he just took her in his arms and held her tightly against his chest.

"I can never… I can never accept…" he struggled to say but he was too angry for some reason that Anissina could not comprehend. He closed his eyes and opened them again. "I could never forgive myself if she died and I wasn't even able to do anything about it. But whoever killed her, damn him! When I catch him, I shall kill him with my own sword, slice him into pieces, burn him, spit on his ashes, and burn his ashes some more!" he said angrily.

Anissina was shocked when she heard him say those words. He definitely sounded like he meant them. _"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on there! Who died and you're so angry? 'She' died? Who died? Who's the 'she'? Did something bad happen to Cecilie or Gisela or…_" she stopped her thoughts. Who else couldshe be?

He carelessly dropped her to the floor and walked to the bed to pick up Anissina's clothes. Anissina watched weakly as he embraced the clothes and buried his face in them. She felt like she was in another dimension because Gwendal was actually crying and sobbing hysterically—something that he would never ever do. "_Well whatever is bothering him must have really gotten into his soul already. He can't handle it anymore. Poor Gwendal. I wish I could do something for him…"_ she thought sadly.

"Now it's too late. I can't…" she heard him say although the last part of the sentence was already muffled by the clothes. She walked over to him and climbed up on the bed so she could let out a loud meow and make him look directly at her. "_Who are you talking about?_" her mind was screaming.

Gwendal looked bitterly into the cat's blue eyes and took a long deep breath as he did so. He smiled and petted her head. "Your eyes remind me so much of her, Anissina." He picked her up and embraced her again. "I wish she was still here. I'm sure she'd love to meet you. I even named you after her because…" he sighed and closed his eyes again. "…and now she's gone I'm just… miserable and… I have to admit I had never felt so lonely like this before. I thought I'd be fine but…" he trailed off. He smiled sadly at her as he gazed into her eyes again. "Why am I even talking to you? You're a cat. I don't think you're capable of understanding anything I'm saying anyway." He said before he settled her down on the bed. "But then again, I think it's alright that you can't understand me." He took a deep breath as he hesitantly lowered his gaze to the floor. At least everything I have ever felt for Anissina is going to be a secret forever." He said.

Anissina gazed at him curiously. She had no idea how to react but she felt very awkward. She knew that if Gwendal found out that she had been Anissina the Cat all along, he would feel very embarrassed to the point that he may not be able to look at her the same way again. She observed the way Gwendal clutched her clothes while she mentally noted the tearstains on his cheeks and the redness of the whites of his eyes. For the first time in many years, she felt like crying because she pitied him. She could not bear seeing him suffering like that. She wished she could ensure him that she was okay and that she had been by his side all along.

The soft creaking of the door interrupted both their thoughts and they both turned to the tall blonde woman entering the room. Gwendal had a solemn look on his face as he saw his mother looking at him sympathetically. "Mother," he spoke up with a tone that faltered on the last syllable.

Cecilie von Spitzweg had tears in her eyes as she carefully shut the door and leaned against it. "I already spoke to Anissina's father. He wants us to join the family tomorrow at sundown. There will be a ceremony to mourn for Anissina's fate by the sea of the Karbelnikoff Castle." She explained.

Anissina's left eye twitched. "_What? But I'm not dead--… but then again, maybe I'm dead to them because they don't know that I'm here!_" she thought.

Gwendal swallowed hard as he tried to maintain a calm composure. However, he clenched his fists very tightly as he looked disdainfully at his mother. "Mother, I cannot… I am…" he stammered.

Cecilie rushed to her eldest son and embraced him tightly. Anissina watched and felt her heart breaking when she saw Lady Celi weeping. "Oh Gwendal, I know how you feel. I know Anissina is very special to you but it's time for us to let go and just accept…"

"No, mother! I cannot!" Gwendal said stubbornly. To Anissina, he sounded like a child once again. She could not see his face because he had his back towards her but she could tell that he was crying again.

"_Is it me or everything is getting weirder and weirder by the minute? And I wonder where Conrart is. Why isn't he doing anything?_" Anissina thought miserably as she watched Cecilie trying to console her beloved eldest son.

Anissina turned away and walked over to Gwendal's desk. She could not take looking at the mother and son grieving for her "death" anymore. She knew she had to let them know. "_Oh fine. I'm going to let the world know that I, Anissina von Karbelnikoff, had failed an experiment and had turned herself into a cat!_" she thought while eying the quill and ink and the pile of papers on the desk. She attempted to jump up but her jump was not enough to get herself on top of the table. Instead, only her two front paws were able to reach the edge and she eventually slipped and fell to the floor.

Gwendal saw what happened and he immediately let go of his mother to run to Anissina the Cat. "Anissina," he called out worriedly as he scooped her up in his arms and cradled her gently.

She could only let out a miserable meow while thinking, "_What's happening to me? How come I suddenly don't have enough energy to move?_" she gazed up at Gwendal and he appeared very blurry. "_What's happening? I can't see clearly!_" she began to panic but soon, even her thoughts became incoherent.

Cecilie eyed her son curiously. "…What did you just call that kitty?" she asked.

Gwendal took a deep breath as he faced his mother with a dignified look on his face. "Anissina." He answered before looking at the cat again. "What's happening to her?" he wondered as he carried her to the bed and settled her there.

"You named the cat 'Anissina'?" Cecilie asked in awe.

"Yes I did. She reminded me so much of her and…" Gwendal trailed off. He almost said something that he knew would make her mother feel happy for him. However, he knew that it was too late to express that statement to his mother anyway so he just stopped himself.

Cecilie smiled sadly. "Gwendal dear, I know you're hurting deep down inside. You loved her, didn't you?" she asked.

Gwendal just kept his gaze on the cat as he watched her breathe in and out slowly. "…It's too late, mother." He mumbled.

And Anissina closed her eyes.

* * *

Conrart was not sure but ever since he left Shin Makoku, he already felt as if somebody was following him. He asked the soldiers who escorted him whether there were stowaways in the ship or not. The soldiers already searched the entire ship but found no traces of stowaways.

Unknown to him, Wolfram and Gisela were among the soldiers that he had chosen to come with him to Caloria. Before the ship set sail, Gisela fed two soldiers some candy that she claimed can combat seasickness. A few moments after digesting the candy, the two soldiers fell asleep and that was when Gisela and Wolfram stole their clothes and left them in a secluded alley a few meters away from the docks.

As for Wolfram, he was having a hard time trying to combat his seasickness as he and Gisela went to one of the chambers to pretend to "search" for the stowaways. "I think you should lie down for a while, Excellency." She suggested.

"No, I'm fine." He said before swallowing the lump forming in his throat. He was not sure if that was spit or vomit but it felt bitter. "You know, I have a feeling that his second victim is going to be Flynn." He said.

Gisela blinked. "Why?" she asked.

"I've read in some books that Anissina had written about a serial killer who tries to woo women and if the woman doesn't like him, he'd kill her. I figured that Conrart secretly liked Anissina, tried to seduce her, and when she refused, he killed her! Now he's going to Flynn and make her into his second victim!..." Wolfram trailed off and his eyes widened in shock. "Hey, what if Julia was his first victim and Anissina's the second and then… Flynn is the third… Oh no! You're going to be next after Flynn dies!" he said frantically while trying to keep his composure. He felt sicker in his stomach at the thought of Conrart killing Gisela after Flynn.

Gisela shook her head. At that time, she decided not to worry about her own life. She was more concerned for Wolfram's health and present condition than her own safety. "You're thinking incoherently. I think the seasickness is getting to you. You're pale, cold, and sweating in buckets. You should seriously lie down for a while." She suggested although she had to admit, she was getting worried about their situation and about Conrart Weller, the suspected serial killer.

"No, we have to stop Conrart! I may not like Flynn very much but…" Wolfram swallowed another vomit rising up from his gut to his throat. "…if he kills her, then you're going to be next! I can't let that happen!"

Gisela looked at him curiously. "…you don't want me to die?" she asked.

"Of course not! If you died, who am I going to confide to about Conrart's behavior? You're the only one who is most likely to believe me anyway. Besides, Yuuri is not here and I'm sure that even if I told him about Conrart being a killer, he would just deny it, too! If it isn't obvious, Yuuri is really very attached to Conrart and even if he's a lady killer, he'd still defend his innocence." Wolfram said defensively as he covered his mouth and crouched down.

Gisela immediately came to his aid and gently rubbed his back. "I think you should just let it all out—the vomit, I mean. You'll feel sicker if you swallow it again and again." she suggested gently. "Come on, let's go outside so you won't make a mess here." She said as she led the way.

* * *

Conrart arrived in Caloria by 9 in the evening and he went straight to Flynn's mansion. He selected 4 soldiers to come with him and among them were Gisela and Wolfram whom he failed to recognize because of their disguise complete with the headgear that contributed to hiding the upper areas of their faces.

Baker, Flynn's right-hand man, led Conrart and the soldiers to a tearoom on the second floor where Flynn Gilbitt was. Upon entering the tea room, Flynn looked up from the book that she was reading and smiled warmly at Conrart Weller. "Lord Weller, it's a pleasure having you here." She said as she got up and put down the book on the chair before she approached him.

Wolfram observed the way Conrart looked at Flynn.

"You look very lovely tonight, Lady Flynn." Conrart said as he knelt down and took her hand so he could kiss it.

Wolfram raised his eyebrows when he saw that. "_That's it! He's trying to woo her, Gisela!_" his mind was screaming but all he could do was look at Gisela and alert her with his gaze. She kept still as she continued to watch Conrart and Flynn exchange greetings and salutations.

The topic finally changed when Flynn brought up the subject about Anissina's "untimely death". Gisela and Wolfram observed the look on Conrart's face when Flynn mentioned that.

Conrart swallowed hard but he tried to maintain a calm composure. "Anissina? Dead?" he asked.

Flynn had a sad look on her face as she nodded. "Lord von Kleist sent a message to all leaders this early evening about the entire Shin Makoku mourning for Lady Anissina von Karbelnikoff's mysterious death. According to him, there is going to be a memorial service tomorrow. If it's not any trouble, can I come back with you to Shin Makoku tonight so I could be there tomorrow and participate?" she asked Conrart.

Conrart was at a loss for words. He was thinking of how he could explain that Anissina was alright. However, he knew that if he said something, he would appear suspicious and they would think that he had something to do with her "death". The last thing he would want to happen was to make the situation much worse for himself and for Anissina's sake.

Meanwhile, Gisela and Wolfram waited for Conrart's response as the latter eyed him suspiciously. Conrart just smiled in his usual dashing debonair way as he said, "It's alright, Lady Flynn, you can come with me."

Wolfram grunted while trying to restrain himself from reacting. It was probably beneficial for him to have Gisela around to further restrain him, too.

"Thank you, Lord Weller. I am forever grateful to you." They heard Flynn say.

"We'll leave around midnight. Is that alright?" Conrart inquired.

"Oh yes, you have to make your rounds here in Caloria first, right? Well alright, we can leave at midnight." Flynn agreed.

Wolfram observed the smug grin on his brother's face. He got hold of Gisela's hand and tugged it. "Gisela, we have to stop him!" he muttered.

She shrugged, her eyes asking him how. He looked away and worriedly looked at Flynn. He did not know what to do either. He wondered if they should attack Conrart already but he knew Gisela would tell him not to because it would seem brash.

The two were interrupted in conceptualizing their plan of action when Conrart approached them. "Alright, the two of you are coming with me. We'll make our rounds and we'll depart by midnight with Lady Flynn." He told them before turning to the 2 other soldiers. "As for you, please stay here with Lady Flynn and when it's time to go, please escort her to the ship." He instructed.

"Yes, sir," the two other soldiers answered. Wolfram subtly cleared his throat and made it a point to lower his voice as he and Gisela responded, "Sir, yes, sir."

Conrart did not seem suspicious at all. Gisela simply felt proud of herself and Wolfram's disguise.

* * *

As soon as Conrart already got out on the streets of Caloria, Wolfram prepared to confront him. Gisela was still a little apprehensive about the idea of Wolfram's idea of confronting Conrart already but she knew that something had to be done immediately if they wanted to save Flynn… and herself.

Conrart looked up at the starry sky as he breathed in the cool evening air.

"Something on your mind, Lord Weller?" asked a familiar voice from behind him. Surprised, Conrart turned around and stared carefully at the two "soldiers" following him. "Wolfram?" he asked in disbelief.

Wolfram took off his headgear and Conrart saw the way his younger brother was staring at him. "What are you up to, Lord Weller?" Wolfram inquired.

Conrart smiled and let out a sigh of relief. "Wolfram, what are you doing here? How did you…" he trailed off when the other "soldier" made a move to take off her headgear. "Gisela! You're here, too!" he exclaimed. Observing the way the two young mazoku were dressed and the fact that they followed him all the way from Shin Makoku, Conrart realized that he was going to be in big trouble. A wave of panic rushed through his mind but he tried to keep calm. He already knew that Wolfram and Gisela's actions had something to do with Anissina's "disappearance".

"Lord Weller, do you know where Anissina is?" Gisela asked straightforwardly.

Wolfram observed that Conrart seemed to have been taken aback by the question. "What's wrong, Conrart? You act like you're hiding something. Are you?" he asked.

Conrart tried to keep a straight face. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"That's the question guilty perpetrators always ask whenever they're being accused of something! You know where Anissina is, don't you?" Wolfram demanded.

Conrart had no clue how Wolfram or Gisela could have known that he knew something all along but he had to admit: he was impressed on their observational and investigative skills. He was also curious on how they came up with the conclusion that he had something to do with what happened to Anissina. However, he took that as a sign to finally come clean. He thought for a few moments on whether he could trust them or not but eventually, he knew he had to tell them the truth. He sighed. "Alright, I won't lie to you anymore. I know where Anissina is." He said calmly.

Wolfram's eyes widened and he exchanged worried looks with Gisela before turning back to his older brother again. "Well where is she?" he asked stiffly.

"She's in the Castle." Conrart answered.

"Which Castle?"

"Blood Pledge Castle."

"You're lying! You took her someplace else and killed her!" Wolfram pointed out. He could not take it anymore so he decided to get straight to the point already.

Conrart could not understand how his brother could even think like that. "…Killed her? What are you talking about? I would never hurt Anissina…"

"Yeah you could! For all I know you secretly loved her and then you wanted her all to yourself but you knew you couldn't so you killed her!"

Conrart stared wide-eyed at his younger brother and then turned to Gisela. "Gisela, please explain to me what's going on." He said calmly.

Gisela braced herself. "No, Lord Weller. I think you should start explaining yourself first. Where is Anissina and what did you do to her?" she asked while trying to sound calm.

There was no way he could deny anything anymore. The two young mazoku believe that he killed Anissina.

Killed.

Of all the things that could enter their minds, why would they even think that he was capable of hurting Anissina? He breathed in deeply and closed his eyes for a while before gazing at them again. "She turned into a cat."

Wolfram and Gisela wondered if he just said that to divert their attention. "…a cat?" the latter repeated.

Wolfram grabbed hold of his sword. "I hate being lied to, Conrart, so just tell us the truth!"

Conrart raised his hands to him. "Hold on a moment. I'm telling the truth. I would never lie to you. Anissina turned into a cat because of an experiment that went wrong. Remember the cat with red fur that I found in her laboratory several months ago? That's her." He said.

The two stared at him. They do not know whether to believe him or not. "The cat with red fur?" Wolfram asked.

And Conrart braced himself to continue explaining to them what happened to Anissina.

* * *

_Author's Note_: I know how disturbing it is to imagine Gwendal crying and then actually making him do it. I had a hard time without having to risk OOC. But then again, I knew I had to because I believe the story calls for it. I wouldn't have it any other way. So if you feel that it was kind of out-of-character, ugh. Spare me the details. I already know. I'm just a little frustrated. I think I wasn't able to portray him well. It's like he just totally lost it.

The final chapter is coming. Brace yourselves for more of my silliness.

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

Kitty

* * *

Gwendal could not understand what happened to his cat as he stared at her sleeping form slumped on a pillow on his bed. He already asked Gunter to inspect the health of his cat but even his friend could not understand what happened. All he could say was, "Maybe she's sick."

But Gwendal could not figure out what could have made Anissina sick. He has been feeding her the same gourmet meals cooked in the kitchen for the past many months already. So how could she get sick after all those months of eating the same food?

He decided to spend the rest of the evening attending to his cat to ensure that she would be alright. He thought that if devoted his time with the cat, it would divert his attention from mourning for Anissina von Karbelnikoff. Unfortunately for him, he named the cat "Anissina" so he was still constantly reminded of her.

Around midnight, he was already tired so he decided to lie down on the bed and take the cat in his arms. He began to think how unlucky he was because first, he lost Anissina and there were too many unsettled and unsaid things between them that he failed to take into consideration until it was too late. Second, the only other thing that made him happy despite her absence was the cat that suddenly fell ill. Because of that, he began to think that if she died, too, he would be doomed to be miserable forever. To him, that cat was the only living memory he had left of Anissina because of its eyes that were strangely similar to hers… not to mention the red fur that was reminiscent of the color of her hair.

Gently, he stroked her fur and kissed her tiny pink nose. "Please be okay, kitty." He prayed silently as he closed his eyes.

As for Anissina, she became half-awake when she felt something touch her nose. She carefully opened her eyes and saw Gwendal's eyes closed. She wondered if he had fallen asleep already but she thought that even if he was asleep, he still looked troubled. Weakly, she nuzzled her head on his neck and closed her eyes again while purring softly. She hoped that it would be an assurance for him to feel better even while asleep. Eventually, she herself lost consciousness in the guise of falling asleep again. A strange wave of energy swept over her and she could not fight it in her current weak state so she decided to surrender to it instead. She just thought that whatever that was, she hoped that it would make everything better for her already.

* * *

The entire ride back to Shin Makoku lasted longer than usual for Wolfram, Gisela, and Conrart. There was still tension among the three and although it was evident to Flynn, Conrart was hesitant to tell her about what happened. As for Wolfram, he gave her a clue that Conrart was a serial killer and that he and Gisela were planning to protect him from his brother.

Wolfram made sure that he kept an eye on both Gisela and Flynn to ensure that the ladies were protected from his older brother, the suspected "serial killer".

Conrart just decided to leave Wolfram alone and just told him that by the time they arrive in Shin Makoku, they were to head for Gwendal's quarters to see Anissina the Cat. He silently wished that Anissina would forgive him, though.

It was 4 in the morning when they finally arrived at Blood Pledge Castle and Wolfram led the way to his elder brother's room. He did not even bother to keep quiet or attempt to be cautious in opening the door. Instead, he just barged in and called out in a loud voice, "Gwendal, where's your cat?"

Much to his surprise—and to Gisela, Conrart, and Flynn's--, there was Gwendal sleeping on the bed with a naked Anissina on top of him.

"Oh my goodness!" Gisela exclaimed.

Conrart just stared wide eyed at the two before regaining his composure. "Anissina!" he exclaimed as he rushed over to the bed. "Gwendal!" he called out.

Anissina slowly opened her eyes and she shuddered. "Gee… it feels cold…" she lifted her gaze up to Conrart and she just stared at him. "Oh, it's you." She muttered weakly.

Gwendal opened his eyes and grunted. "Wolfram, Conrart, do you know what time it is? Can't you see I'm asleep…" he trailed off when he noticed that there was something heavy on top of him. He was surprised to see that the cat was not there anymore. Rather, it was Anissina sprawled on top of him on her stomach. "Aaah!" he immediately pushed her aside and Conrart caught her just in time to cover her with a blanket.

Anissina still appeared shaken as she looked around. "I'm… I'm back! I'm…" her lips formed a victorious smile as she looked at herself. "…I'm not a cat anymore!" she cried out happily.

Gwendal stared at her in awe. Part of him wanted to approach her so he could take her in his arms but he still managed to restrain himself. "Anissina," was all he could say.

She looked at him and then turned to Conrart when he spoke up, "How did you turn back? What happened?"

She shook her head. "I have no idea. Maybe the spell just wore off or…" she stopped. She recalled that Gwendal kissed her nose earlier. "…a kiss," she thought, although she did not bother to say that out loud anymore. She looked at Gwendal with her big blue eyes and for the first time in her life, she did not know how to react or what to say to him.

As for Wolfram and Gisela, they were still shocked to see Anissina alive and well, and they wondered whether Conrart told the truth or not about her turning into a cat.

Gwendal continued to stare at Anissina and he felt a mix of overwhelming emotions rushing up to his head. He did not know how exactly to react and all he could do was smile in relief as he looked at her. "…Hello, Anissina." He greeted softly. His voice sounded demure and it shook a little—it reminded Anissina so much of the first time that they met hundreds of years ago.

And she smiled. "Hello, Gwendal." She said in her usual dignified manner as she wrapped the blanket more securely around her body.

The entire moment itself was awkward and the spectators—Conrart, Flynn, Gisela, and Wolfram—easily noticed it. However, all they could do was watch as the two continued to look at each other in ways that revealed that there were a lot of things unsaid between them that they do not want anybody else to know either. The entire room became silent until Conrart took the initiative to break it when he announced that he would go and visit Anissina's family to explain everything and announce that she was alright.

* * *

The truth about what happened to Lady Anissina von Karbelnikoff spread all over Shin Makoku by 9 in the morning. Anissina predicted that the news would soon spread overseas but all she could do was stay in her quarters and pretend that nothing was wrong.

As for Gunter, he was glad that she was alright and alive. He immediately urged her to perform an experiment on her but surprisingly, she refused. She said that maybe it was time for her to take a break from spells, machines, and experiments for an indefinite period of time. Obviously, to others, she had been traumatized by what happened to her.

Normally, Gunter would be relieved whenever she was not in her laboratory. However, he felt that it was so wrong for her not to be in her laboratory and refusing to experiment on him.

So basically, she spent the entire day in her room at Blood Pledge Castle refusing to see anyone except Conrart, Gisela, and Gunter. She wondered where Gwendal was because ever since she got escorted out of his room by daybreak, she was not able to see him anymore.

The memorial service scheduled later that afternoon had obviously been cancelled. However, she still had to go to the Karbelnikoff Castle because her father and older brother decided to throw a formal ball in honor of her return.

Anissina never liked parties. Usually, she would avoid them by staying inside her laboratory. But at that time, going to her lab was not an option so she decided to oblige. Besides, it was a party hosted by her family so she could not refuse.

Everybody noticed that she seemed to act as if she had no energy left in her. Her usual feisty and energetic attitude seemed to have waned out in the several months that she had been a cat. To Gunter and the rest, it was scarier seeing her in a sulking and serious mood compared to the aggressive and energetic behavior that they had missed so much in the many months that she had been "gone".

Conrart thought that maybe she was angry at him because he told everybody the truth. As for Wolfram, he joked that Conrart "killed" Anissina's old self and replaced it with a new but unenthusiastic Anissina.

Conrart apologized several times already but she still looked troubled in a way that revealed to him that she had several issues in mind. In desperation, he told her that he would gladly participate in an experiment if only she would smile and start mingling with the other guests. He revealed that they were already beginning to worry about her.

Instead of reacting to what he said, she bluntly asked about Gwendal's whereabouts. Conrart noticed the concerned and determined look in her eyes as she asked that. "He said he's coming here but… he'll be delayed for a few hours." He explained. He had to admit, he had no idea where his brother went but he further explained that their mother ensured that he would be there at the party.

Anissina just kept quiet and decided that maybe she should just stop worrying about Gwendal for a while and just mingle with the other guests. Still, the worried look on his face lingered in her mind even as she tried her best to smile and maintain a pleasant attitude as she socialized with the others.

Soon, Gwendal and Cecilie eventually arrived. Cecilie seemed like her usual self: happy to be in a party, pleasant, and sociable. As everybody turned to admire her, Gwendal had his attention focused on the redhead that he had been trying to avoid the whole day. From where he stood, he adored the red ball gown that she wore but still could not shake off the memory of the events that happened for past many months until earlier at dawn. He would still blush at the thought that the cat had been her all the time because he knew that she definitely took notice of all the aspects that nobody else knew about him… not even her—well, that was until she turned into a cat and finally learned everything that he felt towards her.

The same things were going on in Anissina's head as she studied the stoic look on Gwendal's face. She wanted to tease him that if he did not smile, he would have more frown lines in the next 2 months. However, all she could do was keep silent and smile softly before she finally turned away to go to Gunter. In her head, she was beginning to decide that she needed to keep living her life as if there was nothing significant on the relationship between her and Gwendal at all. She figured she could start living like her usual self again by inviting Gunter to participate in an experiment… then ask Conrart next. After all, he owed her a lot since day 1 of her kitty form.

Unknown to her, Gwendal had started off towards her. Everybody watched in silence and wondered why Gwendal suddenly went after Anissina.

When she wondered why Gunter was looking past her shoulders with a confused look on his face, that was when she decided to turn around. She did not have enough time to react in surprise upon seeing Gwendal standing a few feet away from her with his right hand raised.

SMACK!

The loud and crisp sound of Gwendal's right palm hitting Anissina's left cheek echoed across the entire ballroom of the Karbelnikoff Castle.

A shocked Anissina almost lost her balance because she had not anticipated that slap on the face from Gwendal so she did not expect that it would be that strong and that painful. Lucky for her, Gunter caught her in time before she could hit the hard marble floor.

Wolfram just stared in shock while wondering how it must have felt for Anissina. He knew how strong Gwendal was and how heavy his hands were so he just stood there in silence, pitying Anissina as he observed the red mark forming on her left cheek.

To the others in that ballroom, that was a very shocking proposal.

"That was… way overdue. But… I hope it's not too late." Gwendal stammered stiffly.

Everyone was silent because nobody knew how to react to what he did and said… until Gunter broke it: "Gwendal, you slapped her too hard! You're not supposed to hurt ladies!" he scolded as he tended to Anissina's reddening left cheek. "There, there, are you alright, Anissina?" he asked gently.

She felt as if all her lost energy came back to her. Her entire body felt warm and she had never felt that reenergized before. She carefully moved away from Gunter. "I'm… alright, Gunter. No need to worry…" she said reassuringly as she stood up straight and looked at Gwendal straight into his eyes.

Gwendal braced himself for all the possible things that Anissina could do or say to him because of what he did. He knew that what he did was a very drastic step to take between him and his long-time friend. However, thanks to his mother, he figured out that only 2 things could happen as consequences when Anissina found out everything about him while she was a cat:

He and Anissina could deny that anything every happened, go on with their lives like they never knew anything about each other's feelings, and then keep on playing charades while wallowing in cycle of lies; or

He and Anissina could finally accept each other and take things to the next level. That way, they would not have to live with heavy burdens on their shoulders caused by guilt and too much contemplation on all the things unsaid between them.

Again, thanks to Cecilie's help and encouragement, Gwendal took option number 2. It also made him realize that he was ready. Besides, if he thought that if he took option number 1, he could end up losing her again…forever. A chance had been given to them already when she turned into a cat. Why let go of that, Cecilie asked.

As for Anissina, she was part relieved, part shocked, part confused, and part excited. However, all she could do was smirk and eye him playfully as if planning to do something to him later—most probably to serve as revenge for slapping her so hard. With her hands on her hips, she finally gave her response: "My, my, Gwendal. You're going to have to be my guinea pig for the rest of our lives now."

It was as good as a yes, and all he could do was smile in relief. He did not even know why he felt happy. He used to feel fearful for his life whenever she would attempt to experiment on him. But at that time, he thought that that was better than not having her around. Gwendal sighed in relief as Cecilie led the cheers and encouraged applause among the spectators. It was surprising for Anissina to hear everybody cheering for her betrothal with Gwendal.

Music began to play and Anissina walked over to and grabbed his arm to invite him to dance. Without thinking twice, he obliged.

Meanwhile, Cecilie watched her son and his fiancée dancing while Wolfram, Flynn, Conrart, Gisela, and Gunter stood by her side.

"Oh, aren't they adorable?" Gisela asked with a dreamy look on her face. She had her hands clasped together by her chest as she gazed adoringly at the two.

"Indeed. And what about you, Gisela, when are you planning to get married?" Gunter asked, meaning to tease his daughter.

She just looked at her father glumly. "I don't think I'll get married any time soon, father." She answered.

Wolfram yawned. "Well that's that. At least Conrart is not a serial killer. I'd be damned if he is. It would definitely be a disgrace to our family." He complained.

Conrart purposely laid a hand on his younger brother's shoulder in a forceful manner that surprised him. Wolfram looked up at his older brother and then heard him say to Gisela, "Gisela, would you like to dance with me?" he asked while looking at her in a strange manner. He had a smug smile on his face and to Wolfram, it seemed really sinister—like a serial killer's. Without thinking, Wolfram pushed Conrart aside and grabbed Gisela's hand to take her to the middle of the ballroom where he was sure his older brother could not get to them. "No you won't kill her!" that was what Wolfram told Conrart stubbornly.

Conrart smiled smugly, satisfied with himself. Cecilie wondered what was going on but Conrart simply explained that Wolfram had a nightmare about serial killers. All Cecilie could do was giggle and say how ridiculous it was.

* * *

The End

Author's Note: I just went with the flow and wrote this entire story according to what comes out first from my very erratic imagination. The ending is also quite abrupt, I must say. I just decided to cut it there because it is definitely going to lead to another plot if I proceeded. This story is solely supposed to be for Gwendal and Anissina but I'm sure you have noticed some segues along the way, which I definitely did on purpose… although I tried to keep it subtle and minimal—case in point: Wolfram and Gisela. ...and maybe a little Conrad/Anissina, too.


End file.
